E3 2011: ModNation Racers Vita Laps the PSP Version

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The new handheld saves us from one-nub gameplay.

By Greg Miller

I love the ModNation Racers franchise. I dig the creation tools, and I think the kart racing mechanics are the best on the market -- at least in the PlayStation 3 version. The PSP version wasn't terrible, but the one-nub controls didn't offer fluid steering and the graphics were too basic.

You don't have to worry about that with ModNation Racers Vita. This game looks and feels like the PS3 version, and that's good news for folks looking for a true portable kart racer. ModNation Racers is LittleBigPlanet slammed into Mario Kart. You create karts, tracks and racers -- known as Mods -- share them, and then go and race 'em like a mad person. That's how I'd describe the PS3 version, and that's how I'm describing the Vita version.

While the framerate isn't rock solid yet, the game is beautiful on the Vita's sexy screen. Colors pop, the detail is there, and it looks comparable to the PS3 version. The same can be said for the controls -- there's no learning curve if you've played the PS3 before. I was instantly at home with drifting, boosting and pulling off tricks. It appears to be the perfect Vita copy in that aspect and really shows how great gaming can be on the portable's dual analog sticks.

What will feel new to you is the way you create. I didn't get the chance to whip up Mods and karts in the Vita version, but the track creation is a mix of what ModNation fans know and the new Vita controls you will know. You can still lay asphalt, plant trees and drop in power-ups, but this time, you'll do it all via touch controls. When you want mountains, you'll press on the back touchpad to raise the terrain. When you want a lake, you'll push on the front touch screen to create craters on the map. When you want to put in the track, you can draw it with your finger on the front screen.

Spin for the boost, silly.

The finger doodle isn't the most accurate method for hardcore race fans and it doesn't guarantee the best curves, but you can zoom in and use some of the game's tweak controls to make banks, improve turns and so on. Trace with the finger, perfect with the controls.

Outside of this nuts and bolts stuff, I didn't get to dive deep into ModNation Racers. It has a brand new career mode and more than 20 new tracks, but the big news is that all the created content from the PS3 version will be available to download in the Vita version on day one. That's rad, and it's just one of the many reasons the Vita version looks like the definitive handheld version of ModNation Racers.